Macleans Magazine on the Tim Hortons trash problem

The cups runneth over

A year ago, a Tim Hortons franchise opened in St. Andrews, N.B., and ever since then the chain's disposable coffee cups have been a blight on the quaint summer resort town. Larry Lack, a local organic farm inspector, says the only way to put an end to the mess is to implement a deposit-return system for all throw-away coffee cups. The province already has one in place for a wide variety of beverage containers, including beer bottles and pop cans. So, Lack reasons, why not charge folks a few extra cents when they pick up their morning jolt of java? To get his message across, Lack, 63, collects Tims cups on his walks with his dog, and estimates he now has as many as 500. It's a problem, he says, that goes far beyond his tiny community. "Everywhere I've been, I've seen Tim Hortons cups all over the place," says Lack. "You'll see them in Iqaluit, you'll see them on Pelee Island."